Stove top shield

ABSTRACT

A stove top shield for protecting the burners of gas and electric stoves from spills and splatters of cooking utensils on adjacent burners of the stove, the shield comprising a metallized flame retardant material in sections encasing core plates for covering one or more burners on the stove.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to kitchen stoves and particularly to a shield for protecting gas and electric stoves, and cook tops from splatters and spills when a stove is being used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kitchen stoves normally produce spills and splatters during meal preparation where stove top surfaces, burners, and catch pans beneath burners become spotted or covered with these spills and splatters. When a serious spill occurs as with a pot boiling over, immediate attention must be given to avoid baking a spill onto stove parts, the possibility of a stove fire from cooking oils, or billows of smoke from food smoldering on a hot burner. So in ordinary circumstances for sanitary and safe operation, stoves require attentive use and frequent cleaning.

Gas stoves, electric ranges, and cook tops for commercial and domestic kitchens are available and used in a variety of configurations and number of burner members, and are ordinarily available in four, five, and six burner configurations.

The present invention provides a stove top shield for protecting gas stoves and electric ranges from hazards of spills and splatters, for keeping dust and dirt away from burners and ranges not in use, and for easier stove maintenance. The invention in several preferred embodiments applies to commercial and domestic kitchen stoves in general use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an attractive, nonflammable, protective top shield to keep spills and splatters away from cook top surfaces, gas and electric stove top areas, burners, and burner spill pans while the stove is in use. The shield comprises a metallized fabric, preferably aluminized and silver in color, to overlie all burners on a stove and to be folded off burners selectively to accommodate use of one or more burners of the stove. When folded to expose a single burner for use, the shield protects the remaining burners and adjacent stove top areas by catching spills and splatters. The protective characteristic of the shield shortens or eliminates the need for removing heavy grates on a gas stove or burners on an electric stove to clean under them. The shield is easily wiped clean, has a decorative pattern allowing it to remain in place when the stove is not in use, and has a light reflecting surface to brighten the work area around a stove.

The shield according top the invention comprises several preferred embodiments including a single shield, as well as shields with a plurality of protective sections each generally rectangular in shape with each section having metallized fabric defining a pouch that encloses an inner core of aluminum or galvanized steel. The light reflecting surface of the shield is aluminized and silver in color. The shield sections are connected to each other across wide seams to facilitate shield folding in a manner wherein one or more burners of a stove or cook top are uncovered for cooking. If all burners are to be used, the shield is removed from the stove.

In preferred embodiments, the shield may be a single plate cover, two plate cover, a three plate cover, a for plate cover, or a six plate cover for gas ranges. For electric stoves and cook tops, the shield may have a single plate cover for each electric burner. In use a given stove configuration may use multiple embodiments of the invention. For example, a five burner stove or cook top may use a two plate cover together with an “L-shape” three plate cover.

In other uses, the shield its several embodiments may serve as a trivet over non-heat tolerant surfaces for case of stove-to-table placement of cooking utensils.

A preferred material for the shield is aluminized flame retardant material, sewn with non-flammable thread, with a core plate of aluminum or galvanized steel.

Specific examples are included in the following description for purposes of clarity, but various details can be changed within the scope of the present invention.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a stove top shield as an aid in keeping a clean stove or cook top.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stove top shield for protecting unused burners while cooking on one or more adjacent burners.

Another object of the invention is to provide unused stove top areas including burners with a nonflammable protective shield against spills and splatters coming from another burner in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metallized, light reflecting, nonflammable protective shield for improving the appearance of a kitchen stove.

Another object of the invention is to provide preferred embodiments of stove top shields to protect stove and cook top surfaces in a wide variety of commercial and domestic stoves and cook tops in general use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent with an understanding of the following detailed description of the invention or upon employment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Preferred embodiments of the invention have been chosen for detailed description to enable those having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention appertains to readily understand how to construct and use the invention and is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of stove top shield according to the invention folded so as to cover a single burner.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stove top shield of FIG. 1 unfolded so as to cover two adjacent burners.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stove top shield of FIG. 1 unfolded so as to cover three adjacent burners, and to accommodate a cooking utensil on a fourth burner.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stove top shield of FIG. 1 unfolded so as to cover three adjacent burners.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stove top shield of FIG. 1 unfolded so as to cover all burners of a stove not in use.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of stove top shield according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a section view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a unitary fabric pattern for upper and lower layers of a stove shield, showing location of a core plate.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a commercially available five burner stove or cook top suitable for commercial domestic use.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of another preferred embodiment of stove top shield according to the invention folded so as to cover a single burner of the stove of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a stove top shield of FIG. 11 unfolded so as to cover two adjacent burners of the stove of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are a plan views of a stove top shield of FIG. 11 unfolded so as to cover three adjacent burners of the stove of FIG. 10.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a stove top shield of FIG. 11 unfolded so as to cover four adjacent burners of the stove of FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a stove top shield of FIG. 11 unfolded so as to cover all burners of the stove of FIG. 10.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention for use on a five burner stove of FIG. 10 including an “L-shape” shield for covering three burners together with a two plate shield for covering the remaining two burners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-9 of the drawing, the present invention has a principal use with kitchen stoves 10 having gas burners 12, grates 14, catch basins 16, and contiguous stove top areas 18. The description proceeds with invention used for gas stoves. It is to be understood that gas stoves are representative of kitchen stoves and cook tops generally including electric stoves which receive full benefit of advantages of the protective shield when in use.

The shield 20 comprises a fabric 22 (FIGS. 6-8) with an outer layer 22 a of metallized, preferably aluminized, flame retardant material laminated to an inner layer 22 b of an aramid rip-stop knit or of aramid twill. The outer layer is silver in color to provide a light reflecting surface that brightens up the stove area. The fabric layers do not delaminate when wiped clean with a damp cloth. The resultant fabric is generally known as metallized protective fabric for use in high heat environments and is available from Gentex Corporation of Simpson, Pa.

In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-9, the shield 20 comprises a plurality, preferably four, of protective sections 20 a-d joined to each other at intermediate seams 20 e to give a generally rectangular appearance. Each section has a covering of upper 20 f and lower 20 g layers of metallized fabric 22 defining an interior pouch 20 h for enclosing an inner core plate 24 o f aluminum or galvanized steel. Peripheral edges 20 j of each section are closed with non-flammable thread for example for securing each plate within its pouch. The shield is flexible along its seams 20 e between sections allowing the shield to fold and protect other burners not in use. As shown in FIG. 8, each seam 20 e has seam lines 20 m of sewn non-flammable thread and a center crease 20 n along which sections are folded.

The inner core 24 comprises a plate of aluminum or galvanized steel with flat upper and lower surfaces to provide a stable surface cover. Each plate occupies substantially the full interior of its pouch 20 h with sufficient interior space for slight plate movement when the shield is folded to one of the positions shown in FIGS. 1-5. It is the interior plates that impart overall shape to the shield as well as the weight to keep the shield in place on a stove top.

The sections are connected to each other across wide seams 20 e to facilitate folding the shield in a manner wherein one, two, or three burners of a four burner stove are uncovered for cooking. When folded to the position of FIG. 1, the shield seams allow all sections to stack (parallel to each other. If four burners are used, the shield is removed from the stove. When folded to expose a single burner for use, the shield protects the remaining burners and adjacent stove top areas by catching spills and splatters. The protective characteristic of the shield shortens or eliminates the need for removing heavy grates on a gas stove or burners on an electric stove to clean under them. The shield is easily wiped clean, has a decorative pattern allowing it to remain in place when the stove is not in use, and has a light reflecting surface to brighten the work area around a stove.

In preferred embodiments, the shield may be a single plate cover, two plate cover, or four plate cover for gas ranges. For electric stoves and cook tops, the shield may have a single place cover for each electric burner. The stove top shield is a safe, durable, and attractive product providing years of use both in household and professional use.

The shield may be prepared from a continuous sheet S of metallized fabric as shown in FIG. 9. The sheet is measured to suitable length and width including marginal seams. Cuts in the sheet are made along lines 26 so as to form a narrow split 28 between lower sections 30 when the fabric is folded on itself along line 32. Core plates 24 are positioned in pouches between upper 36 and lower 38 sheet faces and the shield is seamed along outer edges 40, the split 28, and interior seam lines 42. In a typical application made for a Wolf® Range with four burners, a shield measures 22 inches across and 23 inches in length with each section encasing a 9 inch square, one-quarter inch thick aluminum or steel core plate. Single as well as two plate covers may include 8 inch square core plates. A stove fitted with six burners utilizes a four section shield along with a two section shield.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-16, another preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated for use on a five burner stove 50. The stove illustrated in FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of gas stove, electric range, and cook top having five burners including four round burners 51-54 and an oval center burner 55. The oval center burner itself may be considered representative of two separate round burners in the central section of the stove resulting in a six burner stove. As will be apparent from the following description, the preferred embodiment of shield shown in FIGS. 11-16 may be advantageously employed on both five and six burner stoves.

The shield 20 of FIGS. 11-16 is of the same construction and materials of the shield of FIGS. 1-9 to the extent indicated by use of common reference numerals for metallized fabric 22, splits 28, core plates 24, and marginal 20 j and interior seams 20 e, and further comprised aspects not so enumerated including interior pouch 20 h and layers 22 a-b of FIG. 8.

Shield 20, intended to selectively cover all burners on stove 50, is shown covering a single burner in FIG. 11, two burners in FIG. 12 by being unfolded along horizontal seam, and again covering three burners in FIG. 13 by being unfolded along upper vertical seam and exposing lower split. When applied to a six burner stove 60, the shield is deployed as in FIG. 13 for covering four burners and exposing two.

The shields versatility is apparent in FIG. 14, where three burners are covered and two exposed in a five burner stove. In a six burner stove a shield deployed as in FIG. 14 covers four and exposes two burners. It is further understood that by folding lower central shield section 20 s onto upper section 20 t along horizontal seam 20 e, a third burner in a six burner stove is exposed for use.

FIG. 15 illustrates shield covering all burners and exposing one, while FIG. 16 shows all burners in a five as well as a six burner stove covered.

FIG. 17 illustrates in schematic form another preferred embodiment of the invention for a five burner stove with central round burner 63. The shield 70 comprises an “L-shape” arrangement of three shield sections 70 a-c with upper and lower sections joined at a horizontal seam and side-by-side sections joined across a vertical seam. The “L-shape” shield may be selectively folded along each seam or both seams 20 e to expose any one of the burners 63, 64, 65 within its deployment.

A separate two section shield 20 joined along horizontal seam 20 e provides protection for the remaining two burners 61, 62 either of which may be used by folding one section over the other.

The shields of FIG. 17 are of the same construction and materials of the shield of FIGS. 1-9 for metallized fabric, splits, core plates, inner and outer layers, interior pouches, and marginal and interior seams.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are presented in general configuration that may be reduced to specific measurements corresponding to specific sizes of a designated stow manufacturer.

In other uses, the shield in several embodiments may serve as a trivet over non-heat tolerant surfaces for ease of stove-to-table placement of cooking utensils.

Various changes may be made to the structure embodying the principles of the invention. The foregoing embodiments are set forth in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. 

I claim:
 1. A stove top protective shield for stoves having at least one burner, the shield comprising a fabric 22 having an outer layer of metallized flame retardant material, and an inner layer 22 a of flame resistant fabric, the shield fabric connected to define a pouch lined by the inner layer fabric and with an outer layer of metallized material, a core plate positioned within the pouch, and the shield seamed along peripheral edges with non-flammable material.
 2. A stove top protective shield for stoves having a plurality of burners, the shield comprising a fabric having an outer layer of metallized flame retardant material, and an inner layer of aramid, the fabric connected to define a plurality of sections lined by the inner layer and with an outer layer of metallized material, each section defining a pouch, interior seams separating each section, a metallic core plate positioned within each pouch, and the fabric sewn along peripheral edges and interior seams with non-flammable sewing material.
 3. A stove top protective shield for stoves having a plurality of burners, the shield comprising a fabric having an outer layer of metallized flame retardant material, and an inner layer of heat resistant fabric, the shield connected to define a plurality of sections lined by an inner layer of heat resistant fabric and with an outer layer of metallized material, each section defining a pouch, interior seams separating each section, a metallic core plate positioned within each pouch, the fabric sewn along peripheral edges and interior seams with non-flammable sewing material whereby the shield can cover the plurality of burners, and can be folded on interior seams to uncover one or more burners for use.
 4. A shield as defined in claim 3 in which the outer layer is comprised of aluminized flame retardant material.
 5. A shield as defined in claim 3 in which the inner layer is comprised of one of aramid rip-stop knit and aramid twill.
 6. A shield as defined in claim 3 having two upper sections and two lower sections, and split between the two lower sections so that one of the lower sections can be folded along a seam to overlie an upper section independently of the other lower section.
 7. A shield as defined in claim 3 in which the core plate is comprised of aluminum.
 8. A shield as defined in claim 3 in which the core plate is comprised of steel.
 9. A shield as defined in claim 3 having four sections.
 10. A shield as defined in claim 9 in which three sections of the shield can be folded to overlie the fourth section.
 11. A stove top protective shield for a stove having a set of burners selected from a group consisting of a set of five burners and a set of six burners, the shield comprising a fabric having an outer layer of metallized flame retardant material and an inner layer of flame resistant fabric, the shield having six sections, each section having upper and lower fabric portions attached at their margins and defining an interior pouch, a metallic core plate positioned within each pouch, a first group of three shield sections placed side-by-side with first and second sections of the group attached side-by-side by an interior seam and with second and third sections of the group attached side-by-side by an interior seam, a second group of three shield sections placed top to bottom with three sections of the first group, the top edges of the second group sections attached by interior seams to the bottom edges of the first group of shields so that the shield when placed on a stove with a selected set of burners can be folded by section to selectively uncover all but one of the burners.
 12. A stove top protective shield for a stove having a set of burners, the shield comprising a fabric having an outer layer of metallized flame retardant material and an inner layer of flame resistant fabric, the shield having three sections, each section having upper and lower fabric portions attached at their margins and defining an interior pouch, a metallic core plate positioned within each pouch, a first and second shield sections placed and attached side-by-side by an interior seam, a third shield section placed top to bottom with one of the first and second shields, the top edge of one of the first and second shields attached by interior seam to the bottom edge of the third shield section so that the shield when placed on a stove can be folded by section to selectively uncover one or two of the burners. 